PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: ‘Learn to win’ still goal No. 1 for Redbirds

Alton’s Chr’shonn Hickman goes up for a shot in the lane during the season-opening Alton Tip-Off Classic girls basketball tournament Nov. 15 at AHS in Godfrey. Hickman is the leading returning scorer from a 3-23 squad.

Nathan Woodside / For The Telegraph

GODFREY — Alton girls basketball interim coach Tammy Talbert knows her Redbirds allowed one to get away to close out the Alton Lady Redbirds Tip-Off Classic.

But in moving forward with a 1-2 record gave the new coach, who took over after the sudden departure on July 31 of Jon Marston after he took over in May for Bobby Rickman, a perspective of what the Alton girls basketball program needs to do.

“We’ve got to learn how to win,” Talbert said. “Hopefully, we’ll be in more of these situations this year. That experience will help out.”

Alton, which went 3-23 last season, replaces just three seniors (Kenya Burnett, Ayonna Clanton and Alexia Rodgers). But they return leading scorer Chr’shonna Hickman (7.3 points per game), a 5-foot-5 junior guard.

“I definitely think we’re going to get better,” said Talbert, in her second stint with the Redbirds after serving as JV coach last season. “Ivoree’s a sophomore. I don’t think she had many minutes last year at the varsity level. She basically played freshman. I didn’t have her but only for a few minutes on the JV. Rayn did play some varsity last year. Raya did not get any varsity time last year, Chr’shonna did.

“We’ve got the personnel, we’ve got the tools. It’s just I really think a lot of it is mental, and if we can just get them to focus on different aspects of the game, they’ll get it.”

Alton open conference play Tuesday at home against Belleville East before playing at East St. Louis on Thursday, but the Redbirds, who could be one of the surprise teams in the SWC this season, want to build off their 1-2 start in the tournament they opened at home in.

“We let one get away from us that we should have not let one get away from us,” Talbert said after a 41-39 loss to Jersey in the third place game. “That’s very disappointing to me because I’m not taking anything away from any team that’s here, but when we start on the 28th of November, it’s league play and our first league game is Belleville East and then we go to East St. Louis. Those are going to be two very tough games. Then we’ve got Collinsville.

“It’s not easy; there’s nothing easy. It’s not going to be easy games. There’s some great players out there in our conference. There’s some good teams in our conference.”

Alton is simply looking to be competitive in them before learning how to win them.

Alton’s Chr’shonn Hickman goes up for a shot in the lane during the season-opening Alton Tip-Off Classic girls basketball tournament Nov. 15 at AHS in Godfrey. Hickman is the leading returning scorer from a 3-23 squad.

http://www.thetelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_1128Alt-Hickman.jpgAlton’s Chr’shonn Hickman goes up for a shot in the lane during the season-opening Alton Tip-Off Classic girls basketball tournament Nov. 15 at AHS in Godfrey. Hickman is the leading returning scorer from a 3-23 squad. Nathan Woodside / For The Telegraph